2018 Now finished: RIOJA CRIANZA, Bodegas Lan. Spain

100% Tempranillo, matured for 14 months in barrels made (most unusually) of both American and French oak.

From the website of the UK agent ‘Liberty Wines’ –
“Bodegas LAN is located in the heart of Rioja Alta. Founded in 1972, Bodegas LAN was named after the initials of the three provinces in the Rioja Designation of Origin: Logroño (now La Rioja), Álava and Navarra. María Barua has been the head winemaker and technical director since 2002, and brings both scientific expertise, with an academic background in chemistry in addition to her oenology degree, and local knowledge, being born, raised and educated in Rioja. She and her young and energetic team focus not only on understanding the technical details of winemaking, but also on ‘expressing the virtues of the land’.”

An impressively rich example of modern Rioja. The spicy, vanilla oakiness is perfectly balanced.

Matthew Jukes’s write-up for our promotion in MoneyWeek magazine:
“While I know Tinpot, Selvapiana and Vinha Grande well, the other three wines on this page are relatively new flirtations for me and Lan is another wonderful surprise. There is nothing more dreary than old fashioned, sweaty Rioja. Bodegas Lan seemingly polishes every single grape that goes into this wine because it is super-flash, brightly-fruited, bouncy and refreshing on the palate. This is a perfect Rioja for the summer months because it doesn’t let tradition get in the way of enjoyment.”